In the 1970s, Tim spent four years as chief amplifier designer for the…
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How many hi-fi professionals can say that they've designed at least one of every part of a complete recording system, from microphones to tape recorders to vinyl-disc-cutting electronics? Probably only Tim de Paravicini (footnote 1). Best known to audiophiles for his extraordinarily durable EAR valve amplifiers, Tim is also an electronics guru to the professional recording world. His global reputation today is based on more than four decades of making things better, building equipment that stands the test of time.
"One example is that Stereo Sound award on the wall behind you, for the EAR 859. Curiously enough, I sold more 859s in Japan in that year (1995–96) than all other valve amplifier competitors together! I think that was a wonderful statistic. The modern equivalent of that is the EAR 834p phono box, which has sold very well all over the world.
"One of the measures of what I've tried to get is how much changes hands on the secondhand market. What is the brand loyalty? That, to me, is important, even in the pro audio market, where some competitors have come along and copied the ideas…
"People will eventually believe McDonald's tastes good, if you force them. But there are people who like good food, and go out of their way to look for good food. The same with good music. And music is human emotion, it is every bit as important to us as food, because music conveys everything from laughter to crying to smiling to tears of joy.
"We've got to get people to realize—hold your horses, before it all disappears. In the pop field now, young bands are realizing that if they put the vinyl out, they know that the kids can't copy it. And the kids can now say to their peer group, 'I…
Back in October 2001, when Larry Greenhill told us about the Sony TA-P9000ES multichannel preamplifier, it seemed the best thing since sliced bread. This affordable ($700) analog controller had two six-channel inputs, a six-channel bypass input, level controls for all channels, and a stereo bypass input. For those of us just dipping our toes into multichannel, it was welcome. Though no longer manufactured, the Sony is still a unique component, and one highly prized in the second-hand market. The TA-P9000ES was not, however, the answer to all our prayers—made to complement a digital processor…
Sonically, the Atoll PR5.1 reminded me of the sainted Sony TA-P9000ES—and, to a degree, of the excellent Bryston SP2, though without the latter's pinpoint detailing of high frequencies. The PR5.1 could be thought of as having a slightly more relaxed and forgiving sound, one that suggested but didn't equal the lucidity and natural balance of the Cary Cinema 11 I reviewed in July. At a price comparable to the PR5.1 with DSP Option, the NHT Controller (January 2007) is a far better and more complete package, but operationally, it's a home-theater component. Music-only audiophiles will find the…
Sidebar 1: Contacts
Atoll Electronique, Boulevard des Merisiers, 50370 Brecey, France. Tel: (33) 02 33 48 44 06. Fax: (33) 02 33 48 44 35. Web: www.atoll-electronique.com. US distributor: Musical Sounds, 6 Mayflower Court, Milford, CT 06460. Web: www.musicalsounds.us.
Zektor, 12675 Danielson Court, Suite 401, Poway, CA 92064. Tel: (858) 748-8250. Fax: (858) 748-8224. Web: www.zektor.com.
Sidebar 2: Recordings in the Round
SCHOENBERG: Gurrelieder
Melanie Diener, Tove; Yvonne Naef, Wood Dove; Robert Deane Smith, Waldemar; Gerhard Siegel, Klaus-Narr; Rolf Lukas, Bauer; Andreas Schmidt, speaker; Michael Gielen, SWR Symphony Baden-Baden & Freiburg
Hánssler Classic SACD 93.198 (2 SACDs)
On the heels of Norrington's recording of the Berlioz Requiem, another blockbuster from Hánssler: a spectacularly spacious performance and recording of Gurrelieder, Schoenberg's post-Romantic epic. Conductor Michael Gielen is a master of 20th-century orchestral music, and he…
"Why can't I just buy . . . a bicycle?"
That's what I asked Steve Silberman, of Ayre Acoustics, the last time he came to visit. Steve, who approaches cycling with the zeal I reserve for clambakes and a good night's sleep, had flown east with his ride, and was giving me a tour of its various bits and pieces: Bianchi frame, Easton fork, Ritchey stem and seat post, Shimano components, Selle Italia saddle, Mavic wheels, Continental tires . . .
I haven't owned a bicycle since I was 14, but I'd like to buy one now so I can ride alongside my nine-year-old daughter from time to time. Her…
In that room, with the speakers no less than 13' from one another, the full Aurum system sounded impressive. Superb bass extension and near-holographic imaging topped the list of its strengths, along with the kind of timbral neutrality and realism that are rare even among the most expensive high-end rigs. Voices on rock and folk recordings sounded wonderful: As with virtually every other single-ended 300B amp I've heard, the Aurum system imbued singers with an engaging presence that was beyond the more conventional aspects of stereo imaging. That quality extended to other soloists—such as…
Sidebar: Contacts
Aurum Acoustics, 10 Minerals Road, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador A1W 5A1, Canada. Tel: (709) 834-8244. Fax: (709) 834-8246. Web: www.aurumacoustics.com. US distributor: Fidelis AV, 14 East Broadway (Route 102), Derry, NH 03038. Tel: (603) 437-4769. Fax: (603) 437-4790. Web: www.fidelisav.com.